FAQ

Absolutely. It is impossible to see directly between the teeth or under the gums or bone without the use of a dental radiograph. Many diseases and conditions can only be detected with the use of dental x-rays.

X-rays allow dentists to detect disease and other conditions much sooner than the clinical examination alone. When problems are identified early, it's easier to resolve them and avoid more costly treatments.

1. Brush and floss more frequently
   
2. Scrape your tongue
   
3. Avoid foods that sour your breath (onions and garlic)
   
4. Kick the smoking habit
   
5. Rinse your mouth after meals
   
6. Skip after-dinner mints and chew gum instead

Side effect of certain medications. Dry mouth is a common side effect of many prescription and nonprescription drugs, including drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, and colds (antihistamines and decongestants), obesity, acne, epilepsy, hypertension (diuretics), diarrhea, nausea, psychotic disorders, asthma (certain bronchodilators), and Parkinson's disease. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of muscle relaxants and sedatives.

Side effect of certain diseases and infections. Dry mouth can be a side effect of medical conditions, including Sjögren's syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, anemia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and mumps.

Side effect of certain medical treatments. Damage to the salivary glands, the glands that produce saliva, for example, from radiation to the head and neck and chemotherapy treatments for cancer, can reduce the amount of saliva produced.

• Nerve damage - Dry mouth can be a result of nerve damage to the head and neck area from an injury or surgery.
  
• Dehydration - Conditions that lead to dehydration, such as fever, excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, and burns can cause dry mouth.
  
• Surgical removal of the salivary glands.
  
• Lifestyle - Smoking or chewing tobacco can affect saliva production and aggravate dry mouth.
  
• Continuously breathing with your mouth open can also contribute to the problem.

It increases a person's risk of gingivitis (gum disease), tooth decay, and mouth infections, such as thrush. Dry mouth can also make it difficult to wear dentures.

If you think your dry mouth is caused by certain medication you are taking, talk to your doctor. He or she may adjust the dose you are taking or switch you to a different drug that doesn't cause dry mouth.

In addition, an oral rinse to restore mouth moisture may be prescribed. If that doesn't help a medication that stimulates saliva production, may be prescribed.

Other steps you can take that may help improve saliva flow include:

• Sucking on sugar-free candy or chewing sugar-free gum.
  
• Drinking plenty of water to help keep your mouth moist.
  
• Protecting your teeth by brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, using a fluoride rinse, and visiting your dentist regularly.
  
• Breathing through your nose, not your mouth, as much as possible.
  
• Using a room vaporizer to add moisture to the bedroom air.
  
• Using an over-the-counter artificial saliva substitute.

Generally, root canal is not painfull, we will numb the tooth and then do the root canal treatment. Root canal can be uncomfortable if the tooth has an acute abscess or acute pulpitis (inflammation of the nerve) But with the current local anaesthetics, we are able the numb the pain adequately to perform the treatment painlessly.

We are in the age of minimally invasive dentistry. This means we want to preserve as much as possible of healthy tooth structure this includes the nerve. If the nerve is vital we want to keep it intact and therefore do not do a root canal. Teeth that are irreversibly damaged by decay into the nerve will require a root canal and a crown. The crown ensures optimal seal from the oral cavity of the root canal system.

Implants are placed within bone, the bone itself does not have nerve endings and implant treatment should not be painful during the procedure. Healing of the implant site is usually uneventful. In cases where multiple implants are placed and multiple soft tissue manipulations are done we can expect some swelling and discomfort, we do prescribe an adequate pain management regimen.